Interviewing Basketball Stars
by chaotic.grey
Summary: Chloe/Whitney, Clark/Lana, Pete/OC, and OC/OC. I started writing this BEFORE Crush, so it and the episodes following it are ignored. Whitney and Lana break up and a couple of new characters come into play. :) PLEASE REVIEW!!! **CHAPTER 11 NOW UP!**
1. .: separation :.

Interviewing Basketball Stars  
  
Author: Liz Luthor  
  
Disclaimer: *sigh* No, I do not own Smallville or any of its pretty little people. Come on now, if I OWNED the show, don't you think Tom Welling, Michael Rosenbaum, Eric Johnson, and Sam Jones III would be shirtless the whole time!?  
  
Couples: none (yet)  
  
Author's Note: Please review! I know, everybody says that, but if that's what you're thinking, then OPEN YOUR EYES! It means we want you to review! And it's not like it takes more than five minutes at the most (unless you're REALLY indecisive...)! So please do. ;)  
  
Side-note: I just had to add this in... This fan fic was started before Crush; therefore, the latter and Obscura are irrelevant here.  
  
  
  
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"Lana, what's wrong?" Whitney demanded as Lana silently continued to hurriedly serve tables and take orders at the Talon. He didn't get an answer. "Look, how am I supposed to fix what's wrong if you don't tell me?" He stretched his arm in front of her, preventing her from walking past.  
  
"Whitney..." She hesitated, then sighed. "I feel like I don't know what's going on with you anymore. You've canceled at least three dates in the past two weeks, you never even come to the Talon these days, and..." She stopped again and looked down, "...I don't know if we still feel the same about each other- as we did when we started this relationship..."  
  
He searched for some way to argue, but he knew he agreed. "I'm sorry about canceling the dates. But, you know, this is kind of a bad time for me. I'm still trying to find scholarships, and then there's my dad..." Whitney's eyes reflected Lana's expression of pain, but neither spoke.  
  
This is so stupid! Lana thought. We both know how this is going to end... We've known it for the past month, and still we continue to pretend that we truly want to be together. Isn't there any way to solve this without hurting each other?  
  
I know she feels the same way I do. For some reason... I just don't want it to end... Whitney told himself. Finally, Lana broke through the silence.  
  
"I don't think it's possible to avoid this anymore, Whitney." She paused, gave him a sympathetic look, then, "This just isn't working."  
  
"...I know..."  
  
They stood in silence a while longer before a customer at a table across the room shouted, "Hey, you feel like hurryin' up a little bit there!?" Lana jumped back to attention and started serving tables again, Whitney close behind her. As she finished up with the orders she had taken, she tried to hold back her tears. I don't understand... Why am I sad?  
  
They entered the kitchen and Whitney put his hands on Lana's shoulders, staring into her eyes before saying, "We can't let this happen between us."  
  
"But- Whitney... We can't-"  
  
"I know this is the end of this relationship. You know it, too, but neither of us is happy about it. We are breaking up, but we can't just keep spreading apart after this. Okay?" He shook his head. "Even if we aren't a couple anymore, I don't want to pass you in the halls regretting that we couldn't work out whatever's bothering us."  
  
She looked up at him and replied, "We will still be friends, of course. And... Maybe this really is better. It'd be nice to talk to you more..." They each managed a shaky smile and Whitney pulled her into a tight hug before saying goodbye.  
  
  
  
.: Two days later, at school :.  
  
  
  
"I cannot wait to see him! Oh, he's gonna be so cute, all sad and vulnerable!" Lindsay Ashmore squealed and giggled to her friend, Amber Christensen as Clark, Chloe, and Pete walked by. Clark subtly rolled his eyes along with Chloe, while Pete simply laughed.  
  
"Man, that's all anyone's talkin' about!" Pete exclaimed.  
  
Chloe joined in, "I knew the day Lana and Whitney broke up, even the Torch couldn't get the word around faster than high school gossipers. Then again, I'm thinking about covering it anyway," she laughed, "It's a huge story!"  
  
"Well, it's a pretty drastic change," Pete noted. "They've been together practically all of high school!"  
  
Clark was a little less ecstatic. "I don't know. You wouldn't think everyone would be so... happy about it..." They passed another group of kids excitedly chatting about the latest news.  
  
"Clark, you of all people should be happy about it! This is your chance, man!" Pete gave him a friendly punch in the arm (and, of course, he didn't flinch a bit). Clark, however, refrained from responding as Lana approached the trio.  
  
"Hello, Chloe, Pete. Hi Clark," she greeted them happily as she joined their parade around the halls.  
  
  
  
...Happily? Why was that? She and Whitney DID just break up, right?  
  
  
  
.: End :.  
  
  
  
Author's Note (again): I went back and edited this chapter so that Amber's last name would be Christensen (something my friend made me do), as well as to add a bit on to it. Okay, so it's not that noticeable, but hey- it's the little things, right? :) Once again, I love feedback!  
  
  
  
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	2. .: regret :.

Interviewing Basketball Stars  
  
Author: Liz Luthor  
  
Disclaimer: *sigh* No, I do not own Smallville or any of its pretty little people. Come on now- if I OWNED the show, don't you think Tom Welling, Michael Rosenbaum, Eric Johnson, and Sam Jones III would be shirtless the whole time!?  
  
Couples: Clark/Lana hinting  
  
Author's Note: This chapter's a bit longer than the first (thank goodness). A tad bit of angst, I suppose, but... It won't last. :) Oh, and don't forget—REVIEW!!  
  
  
  
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...8:30...  
  
...It was 8:30 A.M....  
  
...There was a distant sound, resembling a siren...  
  
...Suddenly, Whitney jolted awake and looked at the clock, already sure of what time it was. He was late. He fell back on his bed, further burrowing into his blanket. The alarm continued to scold him- it was loud, obnoxious. After a few moments of silent regret for sleeping in, he sat up again and turned it off.  
  
"...Craaap..." Whitney moaned. He knew why he'd woken up late. He had a horrible hangover from it, too.  
  
  
  
.: At school :.  
  
  
  
"You seem rather chipper," Chloe remarked confusedly toward Lana.  
  
"I'm sorry... about you and Whitney," Clark put in. "I know you two have been together for a long time..."  
  
Lana smiled. "Don't be, Clark. I feel like a new person, and I'm sure Whitney feels the same way. Speaking of which, have you seen him around? He didn't come to pick me up this morning, I had to have Nell take me."  
  
"No, we haven't seen him. I'm assuming the two of you are still on good terms with each other, then?" Chloe probed.  
  
Lana laughed and replied sarcastically, "What, are you covering our story in the Torch?" She laughed again at the silence. "I know you guys are probably wondering what I'm on, but, really, I haven't been this happy in a long time. Well, I'd better get to my locker," she said quickly. "Bye!"  
  
Chloe and Pete looked at each other, surprised, as Clark followed Lana to her locker (as would be expected of him). When they stopped, having reached the aforementioned destination, he attempted to look into her eyes while she twisted her combination lock. He knew there was something wrong.  
  
"Lana... Why are you pretending to be happy about all of this?" Clark questioned. Lana froze and stared at him, shocked. "You can tell me, you know..."  
  
She closed her locker slowly and turned toward Clark. "It's not a big deal... It doesn't have anything to do with Whitney, really... I'll probably be over it by second period," she shrugged.  
  
Clark followed Lana away from her locker and toward her first class. They stopped to say goodbye before she entered. "Look, just- I don't want you to think you have to keep anything from me. Okay?" He offered. She nodded her head and gave him a warm smile.  
  
"Thank you, Clark. I'll make a deal with you. I'll tell you about it after school, but only if it's still bothering me." Another smile.  
  
  
  
*~---------- + ----------~*  
  
  
  
There was a note on the fridge:  
  
'Whitney- You looked awful this morning, I just couldn't wake you up. Please go to school, though. You really need to bring up your Economics grade. Hope you feel okay. Love, Mom'  
  
He crumpled up the post-it note and tossed into the trash can on his way to the faucet. He poured himself a large glass of water and downed it quickly, along with some aspirin.  
  
Sure thing, Mom... he thought. ...And thanks for your concern.  
  
He showered and got dressed half-heartedly, not wanting to stay home or go to school. But he knew that if he didn't go, she'd worry about him and call him afterwards, which he was sure he couldn't handle. He still couldn't figure out why it had hurt so much... Why he'd been so stupid...  
  
'It's all over now.' His subconscious taunted him, 'You screwed everything up. Now you've got no scholarship, AND no girlfriend, and pretty soon, you sure won't have anything left in your stomach.'  
  
He refused to throw up. He hated throwing up; it was just a disgusting experience.  
  
'Why'd you get drunk if you hate throwing up so much?'  
  
Shut up!! He screamed at himself, and almost started to break down, but steadied himself. "We're better off apart." He said coldly to his empty house before departing for school.  
  
  
  
*~---------- + ----------~*  
  
  
  
Chloe jerked straight up in the middle of her history teacher's lecture. She looked around cautiously to make sure no one had noticed, then calmly returned to her former position.  
  
Oh, shoot!! She thought. I forgot I have a dentist appointment today! How am I gonna get in that sports article on the basketball team!? ...I'll have to do it during lunch... But what could I write about...? I haven't even been to a game in a few weeks. Maybe I should do an interview... Her teacher blindly droned on about human nature and war as she independently solved her own dilemma.  
  
  
  
.: At lunch :.  
  
  
  
I can't believe it came to this... Chloe complained to herself. There's no way he'll agree... No. He has to agree. How else am I supposed to get the article in on time? She silently consoled herself before confronting Whitney in the lunch line.  
  
"Hey Whitney," she said. "I was wondering if you'd do me a favor. See, there's this article I've got to have A.S.A.P., and you'd be perfect for the subject. I mean, you know, the interviewee. I mean... Since you're on the basketball team and all." Why wasn't he saying anything? Did she just think she was talking or was he ignoring her? She scooted closer and leaned over, trying to look at his face.  
  
Whitney sighed. "Sorry, what do you want again?"  
  
  
  
A few tables from the lunch line, Lindsay Ashmore stared cynically at Chloe and Whitney talking. She scoffed, "There is no way that perky little reporter is scoping out Whitney..." she signaled her friends toward the given scene. "Impossible! Did he just nod? I saw him nod! Oh my gosh, she is SO not going out with him!" She gaped defiantly for another minute or two before finally approaching Whitney as he and Chloe parted at the end of the lunch line. "Whitney, tell me you didn't dump Lana for the Torch- freak!" she exclaimed.  
  
Whitney was taken aback, for the most part (he was still a little out of it), and responded, "No, she wants an interview."  
  
Lindsay put her hands on her hips and scoffed again, "And did you accept?" Whitney nodded and walked off calmly. "Look at him!" She pointed after the so-called jock and sat down with her friends again. "He is so freakin' hot! Oh, I can't believe she got him to sit with her with that stupid 'interview' lie!" Her glare continued throughout all of lunch period as the rest of the student body ate their lunches obliviously.  
  
...Including Chloe, Whitney, Clark, Pete, and Lana, who now sat at the same table. Strangely enough to the outside world, Lana and Whitney were sitting next to each other, him across from Chloe, and her across from Clark.  
  
This would most certainly get some interesting rumors floating around...  
  
  
  
.: End :.  
  
  
  
Author's Note: Well, things may seem to be moving along slowly, but it shall get interesting, that much I can promise. And, as always, feedback is much appreciated. I apologize for the lack of Pete in this chapter... I'll have to remember that for the next one. ;)  
  
  
  
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	3. .: persistence :.

Interviewing Basketball Stars  
  
Author: Liz Luthor  
  
Disclaimer: Do we REALLY have to go over this again...? Fine. No, I do not own Smallville or any of its characters, plotlines, etc. I never said I did. ALTHOUGH, if they feel like taking some of MY ideas, I'd be perfectly fine with it... :D  
  
Couples: Chloe/Whitney and Clark/Lana  
  
Author's Note: All I can say is FEEDBACK. :) Oh, and thanks so much for the lovely feedback so far!  
  
  
  
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"...So... What do you think the team's chances are at winning championship this year?" Chloe was pressed for time, and she couldn't think of any good questions. Of course, the fact that she had to eat, ask questions, and write down answers at the same time didn't help much, either.  
  
"I don't know." Whitney's well-thought-out answer could have been less energetic. Chloe looked at him pleadingly as she stuffed another bite of... whatever it was that they passed off as mashed potatoes- into her mouth and attempted to chew.  
  
With her mouth still quite full, she begged, "Whitney, please put some thought into this." She swallowed her food and continued, "I don't have anyone else to do this article and I need to have it finished by the end of lunch. I'm desperate, okay? Otherwise I wouldn't have asked."  
  
"Good to know," he replied dryly. He sighed and gave in. "Fine. If it's that big of a deal, I think our team could improve its defense a little, but since we're only in a high school league, it won't prevent us from winning." Chloe quickly jotted that down and thought for another minute on another question.  
  
Meanwhile, another, much less rushed conversation was taking place at the same table between Clark and Lana.  
  
"Did you hear one word Coach Tanner said?" Lana laughed as she jokingly asked Clark.  
  
"It just goes in one ear and out the other," he grinned. She loved his grin. And today it was just that much brighter, just that much bigger, all because she was single. She couldn't help but notice that Whitney did not, however, appear to feel the same way. But for today, and only for today, she would pretend that it was just fine, because she was tired of hearing Whitney's problems. She knew it was horrible of her, but there was just so much wrong with that boy! Clark, on the other hand, was perfectly cheerful.  
  
'Perfect,' Lana thought. 'At least on the outside...'  
  
Her attention returned to their conversation as Clark remarked, "Why they ever decided to let a Coach teach history is beyond me." They laughed again.  
  
Pete was quickly getting annoyed at this. Somehow, there were two conversations at this table, and he was not a part of either one. He addressed Clark to solve this problem: "Clark, man, I'm gonna go sit with Amber Christensen, she invited me to. Kay?" Clark nodded and said goodbye to his friend, then turned back to Lana.  
  
  
  
*~---------- + ----------~*  
  
  
  
"Wait a minute. So you were automatically put on the basketball team since you were the quarterback during football season?" Chloe looked interested.  
  
"Well, yeah. You don't think that's fair? I mean, why have me try out- they already know what I'm capable of physically," Whitney unenthusiastically poked at his alleged lunch.  
  
"Only in a general sense. You could easily be great at football and completely incompetent in basketball. How would they know? And besides, that's not really fair to other potential students for your position," she stated. After almost a minute of silence from the both of them, she decided to quit ranting. "...I guess asking about your auditions was a bad idea. Sorry about the rambling, I'm easily sidetracked. Anyway... Oh crap, lunch is almost over! Okay, one more question, and then you can add something if you want. Umm... Oh! What about advantages? What do you like about being on the team?"  
  
Whitney hesitated. He knew it would sound awfully cheesy, but he couldn't think of a better answer. "...Honestly, I just enjoy playing basketball. I guess it's kind of intense, you know, trying to judge what your opponent is thinking and all." Chloe was oddly overcome by the image of Whitney in one of the school's dorky uniforms, energetically participating in a rigorous basketball game, sweating hard and concentrating fiercely on the ball...  
  
She shook her head suddenly and snapped back to reality. After blinking a couple of times confusedly, she wrote down his answer and asked if he had any comments to add. When he shook his head 'no', she threw a quick, "Bye then," over her shoulder and hurriedly walked away. She had certainly noticed the hint of pain in his face during the interview, as well as his lack of interest, but she truly didn't have time to care.  
  
  
  
*~---------- + ----------~*  
  
  
  
Upon his arrival to Amber's table, Pete mentally noted the other kids present to make sure he didn't have any enemies here. Amber smiled at his sight and encouraged him to sit next to her.  
  
"Hey Pete!" she welcomed him. "How's life?" He gave her a grin in response and she laughed happily.  
  
'She's mine,' Pete was confident. "How 'bout you? You seem happy," he wondered.  
  
"Oh, I just found out I got a ninety-three on my Trig. Exam. I had to take it early- I'll be out the day we take it in class." Small talk continued, and Pete was happy to take part, gradually guaranteeing his date with Amber in his mind. Lindsay, who was, in fact, Amber's best friend, was still glaring at Chloe and Whitney. She was undoubtedly aware of the fact that neither of them were laughing or even smiling. 'At least they aren't having a good time,' she consoled herself.  
  
  
  
*~---------- + ----------~*  
  
  
  
On the other side of the cafeteria, Lana and Clark invited Whitney to join their conversation. He agreed but stayed silent for the most part. He couldn't get over this weird feeling... a vibe he had gotten from Chloe. 'You probably just think she was sending you weird signals. You still have a little alcohol left in you, after all,' his mind reassured him.  
  
  
  
.: At the dentist, an hour later :.  
  
  
  
Unfortunately, the reason behind Chloe's appointment was a small cavity in the back of her mouth that needed filling. She tried to relax in the ever- threatening chair as the dentist prepared a shot to temporarily numb her for the 'operation'.  
  
'At least I'm getting out of school...' Chloe attempted to comfort herself as the shot was injected. It hurt for only a few seconds, and she could feel herself losing most of her consciousness.  
  
'...Wow. This is a really good way to clear your mind. I'm sure they have some similar kind of... psychiatric treatment...' She lost herself in her thoughts and kept her eyes closed for the entire procedure.  
  
'...What a wonderful concept...'  
  
'...I'm glad I had this dentist appointment...'  
  
'...It's a good thing I got that interview done... with...'  
  
'...Whitney Fordman is really hot...'  
  
  
  
.: End :.  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: Tell me if you think this isn't going smoothly enough. I really can't stand those fan fics where you have two people and suddenly they're in love. So, just let me know if I'm getting unrealistic. In fact, I would like constructive criticism. I guarantee you no negative feelings whatsoever. ;) Also (last thing, I promise!), for chapter four—expect Lex!  
  
  
  
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	4. .: despair :.

Interviewing Basketball Stars  
  
  
  
Author: Liz Luthor  
  
Disclaimer: I don't have any rights to it, but I'm using the characters anyway. And if you were even THINKING of suing, 1) You'd be horribly disappointed to find that I have no money, and 2) Get over yourself. :P  
  
Couples: Chloe/Whitney, Clark/Lana, and Pete/OC (Amber)  
  
Author's Notes: Well... After watching "Crush" this week, I suppose some of this wouldn't make too much sense... So here's what's up: the relationship changes that have occurred in the episodes aren't going to affect this fan fic, but the events that occur and personality most likely will. It's not entirely AU...  
  
  
  
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His eyes were blue.  
  
After having known him for as long as she had, this was the first time she ever got near enough to find that his eyes were a shining, effervescent, blue.  
  
Amber observed Lex discretely from the opposite side of the Talon, curious about the famous Luthor heir. For as long as she could remember, her mother had been an employee at LuthorCorp, and when there was no other choice, Amber had been brought along to work with her, sometimes even meetings. She could remember the first time she saw Lex- the only time she ever saw him in person- she was 6 or 7, and he was about 13. It was only two years after he had lost his hair, and he was clearly still very ashamed of his smooth head. At the time, he was applying a very generous amount of some hair growth product to his pale scalp in the boys' restroom at LuthorCorp in Metropolis, which she had innocently mistaken for the little girls' room. Nonetheless, Amber had never spoken to him, or even seen him aside from newspapers and television- with the exception of that day. When she looked in his eyes, there was a certain depth- sorrow, kindness, reminiscence- that didn't reflect his reputation. She felt he was a generally good person.  
  
Pete, who happened to be standing next to her, tried to hide his feelings about Lex. He was told after the Nicodemus flower incident that his actions under infliction had something to do with Lex, which made him wonder if it was something he would have regretted, had he remembered. Truthfully, his hostility toward the man ran deep, and he couldn't imagine what he would have done, were he without any doubts or limits... When Clark had first become friends with Lex, Pete had tried to believe that Clark was a good judge of character, and that Lex might not be as bad as his father. But it had begun to seem like Lex was only trying to steal his best friend. Surely, the Luthors had something personal against the Ross family.  
  
Chloe was, to some extent, excited about Lex's presence. She was aware that the conversation currently taking place between him and Lana was about advertising the Talon, which she thought would be easily accomplished by a flattering article in the Torch. Coming up with new topics was always a delightful experience for her, and of course, she would also be happy to help out the Talon. Despite what some people thought, she was not resentful of Lana for gaining Clark's adoration in the least. In fact, she was determined to convince herself that Clark was only her friend, and that he would be happier with Lana, which was essentially what Chloe wanted. Now that he no longer had Whitney to worry about, it would be unfair of Chloe to step in his way.  
  
Lindsay was in a good mood. Usually, at school, she had a weird feeling- like she couldn't be herself or she would lose all her friends (for whom she cared more than anything). Here, after hours at the Talon with Amber, her new boyfriend Pete, and his friends- Clark Kent, Chloe Sullivan, and, apparently, Lana Lang- not to mention the infamous Lex Luthor, she felt like she belonged. When Lex entered, she was very surprised that to everyone else, his presence didn't seem out of the ordinary. Clark simply said, "Hey Lex, how's it goin'?" and the millionaire nodded his head and went to talk to Lana. She and Amber exchanged astonished glances. After he started asking Lana how she planned to advertise, Lindsay assumed he was the investor of the Talon. 'Not bad' she thought. All of the pictures she had ever seen of him had only been of his bald head. 'They sure had me fooled!' She recalled countless articles about the supposed power-hungry aristocrat and shook her head in disapproval. He had a unique aura about him, but he wasn't anything like the media made him out to be. He looked like an ordinary guy- except for that distinctive atmosphere of his. And he was bald, of course, but she thought it only added to his individuality.  
  
Clark grinned his brilliant grin as he sat happily in the Talon with his friends. Everything seemed so perfect. Lana and Whitney were no longer together, Pete was happy with his new girlfriend, Chloe was happy about the Torch, and Lana was most certainly excited about advertising the Talon. Somehow, he knew in the back of his mind that this would end very soon. It seemed that happiness was impossible without pain of some sort. It scared him. He knew that things wouldn't stay this perfect forever, but he thought he should enjoy it while it lasted, or else what was it worth? He noticed that Pete's new girlfriend had brought her friend, Lindsay, who had been very fond of Whitney lately. On the outside, she seemed quite shallow, but Clark was sure it didn't follow through to her heart. She and Amber were as close as he, Chloe, and Pete were. The two of them-  
  
Clark's thoughts were cut off as Whitney made a conspicuous entrance. He was out of breath and soaking from the rain. Clark knew this couldn't be good. It looked like this period of happiness would be quite short-lived.  
  
The room automatically grew silent as everyone stared up at Whitney expectantly. Chloe could tell he was trying to speak through tears, despite the fact that he had his head lowered.  
  
He took a shaky breath and gasped out, "My father-...," but couldn't continue. Even so, they all knew what he meant.  
  
  
  
.: At the funeral :.  
  
  
  
Chloe couldn't help but feel out of place. She knew Whitney fairly, but had never so much as set eyes on either of his parents. Nevertheless, she attended the funeral willingly, and tried to show her support for Whitney and his mother. It was a beautiful funeral, but, as can be expected at such an event, there was a horrible downpour. Whitney held his mother in one hand and an umbrella in the other, struggling not to cry. Clark, Lana, and Lex also attended the ceremony.  
  
As usual, Clark seemed to stand out. Not only was he the only one without an umbrella, but he stayed for a few moments after all the other attendees had gone (not to mention the fact that he towered about a foot and a half above almost everybody there). Whitney still walked with his arm around his mother a few feet ahead of Lana, who was walking with Chloe until she turned around to look at Clark. Lana turned back as well, to find the most sorrowful expression upon his face, dripping wet.  
  
Chloe and Lana simultaneously gave an apologetic look, and Chloe thought, 'Clark really doesn't take death well... It's amazing how innocent he is for such a sturdy guy'. He turned his stare toward the two of them, the pain in his eyes extreme, and seemed to beg for condolence. Lana slowly walked back to him and lifted her umbrella to shield both of them from the rain. Clark embraced her and squeezed his eyes shut, otherwise unable to keep the tears from streaming.  
  
Chloe felt a shot of pain at the sight him finding comfort in Lana rather than her, but only for a moment. 'That's selfish,' she thought. 'This isn't why I'm here.' She turned back around and walked swiftly to catch up with Whitney. She looked up at him mournfully.  
  
"He lived a wonderful life," she offered. "He had a successful marriage and left behind a strong, capable son. He took care of both of you the whole time, and when he was in need, you returned the favor. I think... It doesn't get much better than that." Chloe reached out and gave him a compassionate hug, but Whitney did not respond other than to put his hand on her head (not that she had expected anything more).  
  
When she retreated, Mrs. Fordman said weakly, "Thank you. You're absolutely right..." Chloe nodded politely and Whitney turned them back around and kept walking.  
  
By that time, Clark and Lana had started heading in the other direction to visit her parents' grave and then proceed home. Chloe departed the cemetery alone, and Whitney walked over to Lex for a moment. Lex nodded a solemn hello as Whitney extended his hand and opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated.  
  
"I just wanted to say thanks..." He gulped back a sob. His voice was slightly shaky. "If you hadn't organized that session with the Metropolis Sharks... It meant a lot to him. To both of us. I'm glad I'll have that to remember, now that..." Lex shook his hand sympathetically and gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder.  
  
"I'm sure he'll be watching when you play with them professionally." He gazed up at the heavens to signify his meaning and gave a comforting smile. Whitney nodded his gratitude and gave his mom another hug before finally approaching his truck to leave.  
  
  
  
.: End :.  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: *sniffle* Poor little Whitney... *sob* (*poutey face* Feedback?)  
  
  
  
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	5. .: hope :.

Interviewing Basketball Stars  
  
Author: Liz Luthor  
  
Disclaimer: I don't 'own' anybody here (except for Amber and Lindsay- they're mine), and I don't have any claims to Smallville. Trust me, the world would be a different place if I actually had legal ownership of the men of Smallville... Heh heh heh...  
  
Couples: Whitney/Chloe, Clark/Lana, Pete/OC (Amber)  
  
Author's Note: Please review!! Also, big thanks to Misha, who gave me a tip about the Sharks' owner—it's Lionel. *sweatdrop*  
  
  
  
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Whitney felt relieved the second he stepped through the door. At school, everyone had been ridiculously sympathetic toward him. He knew they meant well, but how could they not see that all they were doing was making it harder for him? He just wanted to try to move on with his life, but they made it near impossible.  
  
He realized that most people spend a good amount of time grieving about death, but he felt like he had already spent enough time doing that when his father was alive in the hospital. It was something about what Chloe had said at the funeral... "He lived a good life." It made Whitney feel a lot better about the whole ordeal.  
  
He walked into his room and set down his backpack. On his way back to the kitchen to get a snack, his mother saw him and gave a little hug.  
  
"Hey, honey. How was school?" she sounded concerned.  
  
He gave her a dissatisfied look. "Not any better than I would've expected." She nodded understandingly and then suddenly raised her head again.  
  
"Oh! You got a message today from the coach of the Metropolis Sharks and guess what!" Whitney blinked and stared in anticipation as his mother's face split into a wide grin. "They decided to give you the scholarship!" Mrs. Fordman gave her son another hug and congratulated him. He had a surprised smile on his face.  
  
"Really!? Oh... Wow! That's great! How-...?"  
  
"Well, they said that when Lex arranged for you to play with them last week, they thought you had a lot of talent, and they were willing to reconsider! So I guess they really liked you!" She was excited for him. He needed something good in his life after...  
  
Whitney suddenly remembered what Lex had said after the funeral. "I'm sure he'll be watching when you play for them professionally." How had he known?  
  
  
  
.: The next day :.  
  
  
  
Clark had awoken almost two hours earlier than usual, and he was now done with his morning chores and fully ready for school. Unfortunately, it was only 6:45 AM.  
  
He had decided to visit the graves of Whitney's father and then Lana's parents. Somehow, he felt peaceful at the graveyard, especially when talking to Lana's parents. He wanted to see if he could do the same with Mr. Fordman. He knew normal people couldn't talk to the dead, but he thought of it as a blessing. Sometimes he thought it was just a psychological thing, because he couldn't hear any other deceased ones (other than Lana's parents, that is), but he believed that it was possible. It was harder to imagine that he came up with all of this in the back of his mind than that Lana's parents really could reach him. He hoped he'd be able to talk to Whitney's dad, tell him how Whitney was doing and everything.  
  
However, when he reached Mr. Fordman's tomb, he found Lana there as well. 'I guess talking to him will have to wait...' he thought. Although, Lana had seen him talking to her parents...  
  
She turned around, hearing his footsteps. "Hi, Clark. I guess I'm not the only one who gets up at 5 in the morning to visit dead people." She smiled awkwardly and looked back down at the grave. Clark walked over and sat down next to her. They sat in silence for awhile before Lana suggested, "Let's get out of here. It can't be healthy for us to visit the graveyard as often as we do." She got up and shivered as the wind blew eerily. "It's kind of chilly," she laughed.  
  
Clark followed Lana out of the graveyard and up onto a hill. The sun was just starting to rise, and the sky looked so amazing, it was hard to believe such beauty could exist in this jaded vicinity, which brought death and sorrow upon mankind. It made one believe someone had painted the sky to cover up the blackness of space.  
  
Lana and Clark sat and watched the whole sunrise in utter silence. Still gazing at the sky, Clark noted, "No clouds today. Looks like the rain is gone, for now."  
  
  
  
.: At school :.  
  
  
  
After Pete retrieved his belongings from his locker, he went to Amber's to say good morning, and found Lindsay there talking to her. She didn't seem to have formed any sort of opinion on Pete, but she hadn't disapproved- yet. He waited for her to finish talking and leave before greeting Amber with his usual, "Morning!" followed by a grin. But then he asked about Lindsay. "I know ya'll have been friends since- what?- first grade?- but it's amazing how different you are. I mean, you know, no offense or anything, but sometimes, she's just plain mean!" Amber smiled and shrugged.  
  
"I know she's rude sometimes, but that's not the real her. She is a nice person, but when you think about the way society is, some of the time you just want to fit in. And sometimes, part of fitting in is being someone you're not. I think she's just really confused about where she stands in certain areas, and she doesn't want to lose her friends or her reputation. When she's not surrounded by a lot of people, she feels more like herself, but she can't find a way to let her friends know what she's really like, or they'll reject her. At least, that's what she thinks. High school is a risky world." She shut her locker and let Pete help her up, nodding a 'thank you'.  
  
"I guess I can see where you're comin' from. Clark can be kind of insecure sometimes, and he used to be pretty shy, but I think now he's a lot more confident. And Chloe- man, Chloe is the bravest person I know! She doesn't give a crap what people think of her, and nothing fazes her. Talk about inspiration," he smiled. "Yeah, it's good to have friends." He put his arm around her waist and walked her to class.  
  
  
  
*~---------- + ----------~*  
  
  
  
During lunch, Chloe was (as always) working on the Torch in the office and trying to eat at the same time. She didn't mind, though- for her, there was no other way to live than swiftly.  
  
'Alright, just move that column over there... and... I'm done!' She finished what little was left of her lunch and started heading out the door. In the hall, however, she noticed a trio of girls walking towards her. 'I can sense this one coming...' she thought ominously. They stopped a few feet from her and the one on the right asked, "Chloe Sullivan?" Chloe nodded slowly.  
  
The girl in the center laughed and scoffed, "This is the girl who likes Whitney??" She laughed. "Yeah right!" Chloe looked confused. 'Why do people think I like Whitney...?'  
  
"Oh, whatever. Listen, honey-" (Chloe HATED it when they referred to people as 'honey'. There was nothing as annoying and condescending as being called 'honey' from one of them.)- "I don't know what you think you've got over Lindsay. I mean, think about this realistically. You've got next to no fashion sense, you're in with the nerd crowd, and then there's that pathetic little obsession you have with the Torch." Another simultaneous scoff from the three of them.  
  
"I know! I don't even read that stupid thing! I don't know anyone who does." Whitney was standing in the hallway behind the group of girls.  
  
Chloe retorted, "Okay, what the heck? I just bumped into the three of you, and suddenly you're jumping all over me! And since when did anyone say I liked-" she was cut off by the girl on the right.  
  
"Look, we're just letting you know where you stand. I mean, look at this thing!" She pulled a copy of the Torch off of a desk. "The articles are retarded!"  
  
Whitney stepped forward and yelled, "Cut it out! Stop searching for something to pin her with! And if this is what you do in your free time, I highly suggest you get a hobby. At least Chloe has that much sense." He took Chloe's hand and led her away from the girls.  
  
A little further down the hall, Chloe turned to Whitney and said, "You know, it's not like I didn't appreciate that or anything, but I just want you to know that if you hadn't been there, I would've held my ground. I'm not some defenseless geek."  
  
Whitney raised his eyebrows. "Well, you weren't saying anything when I was there. But trust me, I never thought of you as a defenseless geek." He laughed, and then shrugged, still grinning. "Look, I just thought I should say something."  
  
'I wonder if he heard the part about me "thinking I had a chance with him"... Wait a minute—a grin??' Chloe pondered. "You seem happy," she noted. '...Especially for a guy who's dad just passed away.'  
  
"Oh, I just found out yesterday they gave me my scholarship back!" He was excited.  
  
"Well, congratulations! You deserve it," she smiled.  
  
  
  
.: At Lex's mansion :.  
  
  
  
Lex massaged his eyes- he was so sick of reading, he felt like his eyes were bleeding. Suddenly, one of the staff entered and said attentively, "A young Mr. Fordman wishes to speak to you, Mr. Luthor." Lex let out a sigh and got up to meet him, but then a smile crossed his face as he remembered Whitney's scholarship. 'I guess he heard the news.' He stretched- he'd been sitting for at least two hours going over the idiotic new "Terms and Policies" his father was making him enforce at the plant.  
  
Upon his entrance to the library (where Lex usually met with guests), he found Whitney still standing, looking anxious. He casually walked forward and greeted, "You wanted to talk?"  
  
Whitney was evaluating him. "How did you know I got the scholarship?" he asked.  
  
Lex couldn't help but smile. "Actually, the Sharks' coach- his name is Coach Browning, you might need to know that- called me up and asked about you. Congratulations, by the way." Whitney returned a grateful smile.  
  
  
  
.: End :.  
  
  
  
Author's Note: This one turned out much longer than the others so far! It seems kinda pointless, really, but there are lots of relationship changes going on. Anyway, yay Whitney! I had to give him something. ;) Oh, and by the way—I'm still not exactly sure how it is in the show, but here, Clark, Chloe, Whitney, Lana, and Pete are juniors (Whitney and Lana being seventeen, the rest being sixteen). In any case, please review! Many thanks! :D  
  
  
  
*~---------- + ----------~* 


	6. .: renewal :.

Interviewing Basketball Stars  
  
Author: Liz Luthor  
  
Disclaimer: Smallville and its characters and plot lines don't belong to me, and neither does the song "Barbie Girl". *grin* You'll understand soon enough...  
  
Couples: Chloe/Whitney  
  
Author's Note: Much more Chloe/Whitney in this one. :) Enjoy!! Oh wait—first, big thanks to DarkLexie, who corrected me in the lyrics of "Barbie Girl". :)  
  
  
  
*~---------- + ----------~*  
  
  
  
She awoke gently to find that the baby was clean and wrapped in a soft blanket, ready to be held by his mother. She took him from the nurse's arms and smiled softly. He was a beautiful child.  
  
A few minutes later, another nurse came in with a clipboard and asked for the baby's name.  
  
"Whitney," she whispered in reply.  
  
Chloe jerked awake to the sound of her alarm clock and leaned over to turn it off. It was only 5:00... The thing had gone off early. 'Oh well,' she thought groggily, 'More time to get ready.' After a few minutes of stretching and yawning and convincing herself to get up, she reluctantly crawled out of her big, pale yellow comforter and trudged into her bathroom to take a shower.  
  
She was still half asleep and attempting to wash her hair when suddenly a strange feeling came over her. She remembered her dream—she was having a baby (couldn't remember who the father was in the dream), which, oddly enough, she named Whitney. 'Okay, THAT is weird...' she reflected, now exiting the shower and snatching her towel. She decided to write it down and look it up later.  
  
  
  
.: At Whitney's :.  
  
  
  
I'm a Barbie girl, in a Barbie wo-orld,  
  
Life in plastic- it's fantastic!  
  
Whitney twitched and slowly raised his head from his pillow, glaring at the radio alarm clock as it rang out happily:  
  
You can brush my hair, undress me anywhe-ere,  
  
Imagination- life is your creation!  
  
He moaned and slammed his face back to the pillow, and then reached his arm out to turn off the cursed melody. He had decided to set the alarm to the radio, rather than the siren (looking back on Monday), in order to wake up more peacefully.  
  
'This has got to be the worst way to start your day,' he complained.  
  
  
  
.: At Chloe's :.  
  
  
  
'Why doesn't anything look good today!?' Chloe fumed as she desperately rummaged through her closet and dresser for something to wear. For some reason, she felt like she looked horrible in everything she wore. Funny, she had never really cared before, but now... She still wasn't sure why, exactly, but now she sort of felt like she had to impress someone.  
  
She ended up wearing black flare pants and a sleeveless blood red shirt with rose designs on it. She styled her hair the way she usually did and ate breakfast before brushing her teeth. It was still only 7:00, though, so she decided to go in early and work on the Torch.  
  
  
  
.: Back at Whitney's :.  
  
  
  
Whitney didn't realize until he was fully ready that he had woken up early. He sat on the couch with his backpack on, leaning his head on his knuckle and his elbow on the arm of the sofa. His unwaveringly irritated expression was fixed on the clock on the mantle.  
  
'7:03...' he read. 'What am I supposed to do? I could go back to sleep for a little while... Nah, not tired... "I'm a Barbie girl, in a Barbie-" Wait, what the heck was that?? I got that idiotic little song stuck in my head!' The tune continued to play over in his head as he tried to consider his choice of activity.  
  
'....'  
  
'....You can brush my hair, undress me anywhe-ere... Geeze, SHUT UP!!'  
  
'...Imagination- life is your crea- That's it, I'm goin' to school.'  
  
Whitney sat up and glanced once more at the clock—'7:12'—before heading out the door.  
  
  
  
.: At the school :.  
  
  
  
Chloe easily found a dream dictionary on the internet to look up the meaning of her strange dream. She searched under 'babies' and found that a clean baby can mean the coming of a "wonderful new love affair". 'Doubt that,' she told herself. Another site said it referred to happiness or rebirth, and another claimed that the baby could represent herself and a new beginning. 'I wonder why I named it Whitney, though...' Chloe considered. She shrugged and thought, 'Well, they all seem to be positive implications. That's always a good sign.'  
  
  
  
*~---------- + ----------~*  
  
  
  
Whitney paced through the halls, searching for anyone he knew. He was hoping to find some of his football buddies and maybe start a game. No such luck.  
  
He had searched almost everywhere he could think of—everywhere except the Torch office. This was his last resort, but only because he knew none of the athletes was on the staff of the newspaper. 'Might as well try,' he internally sighed.  
  
However, as soon as he entered the office, he found only Chloe sitting at the computer, her back turned toward the door. At first he considered just leaving—she hadn't noticed him yet—but then he realized he had nothing else to do, so he approached her and said, "Hey, morning."  
  
Chloe turned around abruptly and smiled after she saw who was speaking to her. "Good morning. How's it going?" she asked in return, trying to inconspicuously close the dream dictionary page on the computer behind her back. Luckily, Whitney wasn't paying much attention to their surroundings.  
  
As he looked her over, noticing a lack of her usual layers of clothing, only one thing went through his mind: 'I'm a Barbie girl, in a Barbie wo- orld... How many more times can I hear the same part of that stupid song in my head before I explode!? ...Not much longer...'  
  
Chloe couldn't help but wonder: 'A new beginning having to do with Whitney...? Who knows...' Finally Whitney said, "Oh, uh, I'm fine. Sometimes I just wish people would stop talking about... that."  
  
Chloe nodded and replied, "Yeah... I don't think it does anyone any good to dwell on it. Besides, from what I can tell, you're handling it pretty well. I mean, I can't even imagine what it would be like to be in your position. I know how hard it must be on you, but I honestly think you're strong enough to handle it yourself. You're probably sick of people telling you how horrible things are going, huh? I guess I just see you as a very capable person... You don't need anyone to tell you how to move on."  
  
Whitney looked up at her reflectively and said gratefully, "Thank you... Thanks, that means a lot to me." He looked almost confused. Chloe smiled shyly and then looked up at the clock behind him.  
  
"Looks like it's almost time to go," she declared after a minute or two, standing up and grabbing her backpack.  
  
Once Whitney was alone in the room, he let out a confused shudder. 'Chloe? I don't... No way. Then why did I get such a weird feeling talking to her?' Somehow the thought had crept into his mind that he was attracted to Chloe Sullivan.  
  
  
  
*~---------- + ----------~*  
  
  
  
On his way to school (he had missed the bus yet again, but this time he couldn't use his super-speed because he kept seeing other people along the street), Clark noticed Lindsay walking alone and called out her name. She turned around instantly and then waved, recognizing Clark from the Talon last week. "Hi," she said cheerily. She was in a particularly good mood. So far, everything had gone her way this morning.  
  
"What's up?" he asked casually, now walking alongside her.  
  
"Nothing," she said in reply. "Hey, you know Whitney pretty well, right?" He nodded. "Do you think he would just be weirded out if I made him a card congratulating him on his scholarship?"  
  
"I think he'd appreciate it," Clark nodded again. "...You like him a lot, don't you?"  
  
She would have denied it, but she felt like she could trust Clark (despite what little time she had known him). "...Yeah, I do... But, don't, uh, go around telling people, kay?"  
  
His smile turned into a grin and he promised, "Don't worry about it." Lindsay returned a smile and put her hands in her pockets. Clark had noticed she had a habit of doing that.  
  
She turned her face toward the ground, still smiling, and said, "I've liked him since seventh grade, actually. Pretty pathetic, huh?" She laughed. "No one else realizes it, though. Most of my friends don't really take it seriously. Everyone but Amber thinks I'm lost in a high school crush. It's not like I think I'm in love with him or anything... But, you know, my real problem is just... the people I hang out with." Her smile faded and she looked back at Clark. "I don't know why I ever wanted to be 'popular'. It seems like my only true friend nowadays is Amber..."  
  
Clark joked, "Well, if you'd like a quick way out of the popular circle, you could always join our little band of nerds." He smiled again, and then said, "Really, though, we'd be glad to have you if you ever want to hang out with us." With a departing wave and smile from the both of them, they went their separate ways as they neared the school, Clark jogging to catch Chloe and Pete and Lindsay addressing Whitney.  
  
  
  
.: End:.  
  
  
  
Author's Note: Yay! Whitney's coming around! But if that happens, it might cause a few problems for Chloe dealing with a certain jealous female... This chapter didn't really include very many of the characters, but I had to advance the Chloe/Whitney relationship at SOME POINT. :)  
  
  
  
*~---------- + ----------~* 


	7. .: emotion :.

Interviewing Basketball Stars  
  
Author: Liz Luthor  
  
Disclaimer: I've no RIGHTS to these characters, perhaps, but c'mon... Don't you like the little world I've created with them? Of course you do.  
  
Couples: Chloe/Whitney  
  
Author's Note: I'm so excited about this one!! I've been looking forward to writing it. ;) PLEASE review—I want feedback more than ever on this chapter!  
  
  
  
*~---------- + ----------~*  
  
  
  
Whitney was feeling particularly inattentive that Thursday. He walked the halls of Smallville High without expression, drowsily waving at those he knew as he passed them by and sitting uncharacteristically quietly in all of his classes, as well as lunch.  
  
During Literature, his only class with Chloe, he paid nearly no attention whatsoever to the lesson provided. Instead, he occupied his time by observing Chloe from across the room, who didn't seem to be enjoying the class either. Afterwards, he called out to her to get her attention.  
  
"You okay?" he asked, still pretty out of it.  
  
"Yeah, fine. Why?" she replied, confused.  
  
"You looked like you were ready to kill someone in there," he laughed.  
  
Chloe rolled her eyes and said, "It's just the guy who sits next to me. You know him?" Whitney shook his head. "He never shuts up! He kept going on and on about something apparently funny his friend did during lunch. He's the most annoying person I've ever met! Sorry, had to let it out. Thanks for you concern, though," she smiled. Whitney smiled back slightly and turned at the next corner to get to his class.  
  
'That's interesting,' Chloe thought. 'Whitney Fordman was watching me from a distance.' She shrugged. 'Hey, I don't mind!' she laughed to herself.  
  
  
  
.: Next day, at lunch :.  
  
  
  
"That's weird," Tatiana Hullender snickered, referring to the table at which Clark, Lana, Chloe, Whitney, Pete, Amber, and Lindsay now sat. "Now, I knew Amber was going out with Pete, but Lana and Clark? Ooh, and look at Chloe and Whitney. They seem to be hitting it off!" she laughed. "It looks like Lindsay's the only one alone for once! It's like the world just turned upside-down!!"  
  
Lindsay heard Tatiana's voice from her table—she was the only one paying attention to it. 'I'm better off than you are...' she mentally replied. Despite not having anyone to talk to, she felt much more at ease here. Besides, she didn't really feel like talking to anybody today.  
  
Clark asked Lana, "So how's the Talon doing?"  
  
She nodded and smiled. "Its great. How's Kent Farm?" she laughed.  
  
Clark smiled and replied in a Southern accent, "Boy, I'll tell ya, the day's just keep gettin' longer and longer. Ya wake up with the sun and don't quit workin' till the day's done," he could no longer keep a straight face and started to laugh uncontrollably along with Lana. The others at the table had heard this remark and were laughing as well.  
  
When lunch ended and the bell rang, Whitney approached Clark stiffly. "What's up, Whitney?" Clark wondered.  
  
Whitney looked down for a minute, then back up, and answered, "Look, I never really got out a straight apology for what I did to you earlier this year. I'm really sorry," he looked very sincere.  
  
Clark nodded, "Don't worry about it. I've put it behind me," and smiled. Whitney brightened slightly.  
  
"Well, then, would you mind if I asked you a favor?" Clark shook his head. "Do you think you could... you know, just kind of make sure Chloe doesn't find out about it?" He seemed uncomfortable.  
  
"Wait a minute—you like Chloe?" Clark didn't seem very happy about this. "I haven't told her about it yet, but what is this? You finally apologize about it just because you want to secure your relationship with Chloe?" Whitney closed his eyes, prepared for how this would end.  
  
"That's not it, Clark. I was just thinking about it and-"  
  
"No! Look, if you want Chloe to like you, be truthful with her, at least! And if you weren't planning on that, then she deserves better than you anyway!" Clark walked away angrily, leaving a disappointed Whitney behind in the hall.  
  
  
  
*~---------- + ----------~*  
  
  
  
After school, Lana walked up to Clark and asked bravely, "Is something wrong? You've been off in your own world since lunch, and you were fine then. What happened?"  
  
Clark hesitated. "It's nothing... I just had a little talk with Whitney and he made me mad."  
  
"...Feel like elaborating on that...?" Lana questioned.  
  
"I really don't wanna talk about it..." he responded lamely and left for his locker. She almost started to feel like he was blowing her off, but she knew it wasn't her—it was something Whitney had said...  
  
  
  
*~---------- + ----------~*  
  
  
  
Amber and Lindsay laughed. They were having a good time talking on their way home from school. They had lived next door to each other since the third grade, when Lindsay had moved to Smallville.  
  
Amber let out a sigh of content. "You know, I've been so much happier lately, hanging out with Pete and his friends. Don't you agree?" Lindsay nodded and smiled. "...Yeah, I bet you're just happy cuz Whitney's there!" she joked.  
  
"You know it!" Lindsay laughed back. "But, nah, that's not really the only reason. I feel much more self-confident, y'know, like nobody's gonna backstab me... Unlike the people we usually associate with." She rolled her eyes.  
  
"Yeah," Amber agreed. "That's horrible... But, speaking of Whitney—you do still like him, of course?" she probed. Lindsay nodded and pretended to shoot herself in the head.  
  
"I know, I know... He doesn't like me back," she sighed. "I seriously need to get over him, don't I?"  
  
Amber gave an indirect answer. "Well, there are lots of other guys for you to choose from, you know," she offered. "Come on, that tall, dark, exotic look you've got," she teased. Lindsay spit her tongue out at her. She laughed, and then said, "Look, I'd just hate to see you get hurt. I know how much you like Whitney... I just think you might have better luck elsewhere."  
  
Lindsay returned a smile. Amber was such a good friend.  
  
  
  
*~---------- + ----------~*  
  
  
  
Chloe was (as usual) typing away on the computer in the Torch office when she heard the door open. Instinctively she saved and closed the document on which she was working and turned around to greet her visitor.  
  
"Oh, hi, Whitney. What brings you here?" she inquired.  
  
He set down his backpack and sat in front of Chloe, kneeling on the floor. "I don't really know, actually... But I know that I like to talk to you, and you're always here, so..." She noticed he looked kind of nervous and wondered why he was acting differently. Then again, she was glad he wanted to talk to her. She found that she liked talking to him, as well. Lately, he had completely and single-handedly defied her definition of "jock", and she decidedly wanted to learn more about his personality.  
  
She smiled and asked, "Anything in particular you wanna talk about, or should I just pull something from the air as I so often do?"  
  
Whitney shrugged and noted, "Just seems like you're the only person I can talk to recently... It's probably just me." There was a silence. Chloe didn't know what to say. "...Forget I said that," he smiled. "How are things?"  
  
"Good. With exams coming up, it doesn't get much better than that, though," she laughed. "You?"  
  
He was hesitant with his reply. "...Uhh... I guess it could be worse... Oh, I hope I wasn't interrupting your work or anything-" he said abruptly, observing the computer behind her.  
  
"No, not at all. In fact, I'm actually ahead of schedule. I have no life," she commented, nodding sadly. Whitney let out a short laugh in response, and there was silence again. "...You know what?" Chloe began. "I never said thank you for that interview the other day!"  
  
"...You're welcome?"  
  
Chloe laughed. "Thanks! And thank you for defending me the other day from those girls in the hall. You're a great guy," she smiled. "Lana made a mistake by letting you go." There was another short silence before Chloe stood up, followed by Whitney, and declared, "I'd better go."  
  
  
  
*~---------- + ----------~*  
  
  
  
Clark treaded through the empty halls, still in a bad mood. He had an article for Chloe, so he was headed for the Torch office, fully expecting her to be there. Alone.  
  
However, as he swung open the door, he saw Whitney standing in front of her with his hands on her shoulders. He leaned over and gave her a swift kiss on the lips.  
  
  
  
.: End :.  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: THE FIRST KISS! Yay! *waves little victory flag* Please review!! It'll make me really really really happy if you do...  
  
  
  
*~---------- + ----------~* 


	8. .: confusion :.

Interviewing Basketball Stars  
  
Author: Liz Luthor  
  
Disclaimer: The characters in this fan fic do not belong to me, they belong to the Smallville people... Well, except for Amber and Lindsay... But you get the point.  
  
Couples: Chloe/Whitney  
  
Author's Notes: Alright, well, since the WB (along with the internet, might I add) is against me, my fan fic no longer seems to have any relevance to Smallville. However, I do plan on continuing it... despite their attempts to stop me ^^ ("I love you Lana..." –Whitney [they make it just a tad harder to write a Chloe/Whitney fic!]). So, please keep reviewing so that I know SOMEONE'S still reading it... Thanks. :) Oh yeah!! One more thing—I took this first paragraph from chapter 7 cuz I wanted it to end on the kiss. *smile* Just to make you aware.  
  
  
  
*~---------- + ----------~*  
  
  
  
When he released, she looked past him at Clark, standing in the doorway, and gasped. Whitney immediately turned around; shocked to find the one person there he least wanted to see. Quickly, he grabbed his things and walked past Clark and out the door. The latter slammed it shut behind him.  
  
"What was that about?" Clark demanded.  
  
Chloe looked both shocked and hurt at the same time. "Look, for one thing, he kissed me, not the other way around, and for another thing—since when is that a problem??"  
  
"Since—" he cut himself off. He wasn't sure if he wanted to tell her about the scarecrow incident. "...You deserve better," he reasoned.  
  
"Better than Whitney!? What are you talking about—I thought he was your friend!" she fumed. Clark didn't respond. "...This is ridiculous! If you don't want to tell me what your problem is, then I'm just gonna leave, okay? Bye," she said as she flew out the door.  
  
  
  
*~---------- + ----------~*  
  
  
  
'I definitely overreacted.' Chloe sighed, walking down the hall to the exit. 'But it's not fair of him to tell me that Whitney doesn't deserve me and then not tell me why! I know those two used to have problems, but I thought they were friends now... What does Clark have against him?' She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the thought as she neared her car in the parking lot. She backed out of the space and drove away from the school, finally headed for home.  
  
'He's been so nice lately... How could I deserve better than Whitney?'  
  
'...And that kiss... I had no idea he even had feelings for me until today. But, do I like him back...?'  
  
  
  
.: Whitney's house :.  
  
  
  
No one was home. 'Good,' Whitney thought. 'I really don't feel like talking to anyone today.' He threw his backpack onto his bed and sat down, visibly stressed. 'I'm an idiot. Why did I have to kiss her? I should have let her go... Now Clark's gonna tell her about that stupid prank and she'll think I'm a jerk...... Geeze, I am a jerk...' he sighed. This was not what he needed now. He so desperately wished he could go back and correct his horrible mistake. 'And what if she doesn't like me? Then I just screwed not only my friendship with her, but also with Clark. This sucks.'  
  
He didn't know what to do. He was so mad at himself for kissing Chloe that he couldn't concentrate on anything. 'I've gotta calm down,' he told himself. '...I'll just go take a shower.' He got up lazily and walked into his bathroom to see if his towel was there (which it was), and turned the knob in the shower to release hot water. While waiting for it to heat up, he began to peel off his clothing.  
  
Suddenly, and of course this HAD to happen while Whitney was wearing nothing but a towel, the doorbell rang. 'Oh, great,' he thought sarcastically. His robe was in the laundry and he couldn't necessarily answer the door in a towel. Quickly, he slipped his boxers and under-shirt back on, along with his jeans, which he barely managed to pull on before approaching the front door.  
  
"Yes?" he asked as he opened the door, impatient to get back upstairs. Surprisingly enough, it was none other than Lana who stood in front of him.  
  
  
  
*~---------- + ----------~*  
  
  
  
She couldn't keep herself from thinking, 'He's wearing a tank top! That's different.' She only stared at him for a moment before realizing he would soon notice. "Oh, um... I think I might have left my sweater here a long time ago. I haven't seen it in forever and I just thought..." Lana trailed off. Whitney signaled her to come inside.  
  
"Just a minute," he requested, and then ran upstairs. When he returned a few minutes later, he held her sweater in his hand and swiftly shoved it into her arms and rushed her out the door.  
  
Lana stuttered, "I-if this was a bad time, I'm-"  
  
"Ah, no, I was just getting ready to take a shower," Whitney hurriedly waved at her and started to close the door, but she interrupted him.  
  
"Whitney. Calm down. I wanted to ask you a question."  
  
"Okay..." he glanced upstairs briefly, as though he could tell whether or not the bathtub was overflowing.  
  
"Have you spoken to Clark lately? He was kind of in a bad mood this afternoon, and he wouldn't tell me what was wrong..." Whitney shifted his weight uncomfortably and gulped.  
  
"...It's got something to do with..." he sighed. "We had a talk about the scarecrow thing, and I-..." How could he tell Lana that he liked Chloe so shortly after their break-up? It was obvious to him that she liked Clark, but still... "He's just still really cynical about the whole thing. I can understand why, though. It was a horrible thing to do... I deserved having my truck stacked on, however that happened," he laughed. Lana was hesitant. She looked at the ground solemnly.  
  
"...I'm glad you've come to realize what a terrible incident that was. But I understand that it might take Clark a little while to forgive you. You know, I really thought that was over between you two."  
  
Whitney was silent. He didn't know what to say—the truth was, it was over. Clark was just being protective of Chloe. Which was understandable.  
  
  
  
.: At the market :.  
  
  
  
When she had returned home, Chloe had found a grocery list and a short note from her father- "Please do the shopping, honey, I left the money on top of the fridge. Thanks! Love, Dad", - so off she was to the Smallville market.  
  
Unfortunately, as had become quite clear already, this was not her day. She bumped into three people, knocked down most of the foil in stock, and forgot at least four items on the list. She tried as hard as she could to shrug it off and think: 'It's okay... At least it's Friday.'  
  
When she returned home, she found her father present. She told him grimly about her clumsy grocery venture, but he was sympathetic. After all was settled and she was lying drowsily in her bed upstairs, Chloe concentrated on her biggest problem.  
  
'Do I like Whitney? He's really a nice guy... Okay, maybe he was sort of a jerk before, but he's changed since his father died... And he's so freakin' hot... No, that's not why I like him. He's nice. Wait, I like him?? Huh. Problem solved.'  
  
  
  
.: Clark's house :.  
  
  
  
Clark turned stiffly in his bed, clinging to his bitter thoughts. He couldn't get comfortable, and he certainly wouldn't be able to sleep.  
  
'Chloe defended Whitney. Does she like him back? Maybe I should just mind my own business and let them hook up. But what about Whitney? Can I trust him to take good care of her? This is stupid. Chloe's not my responsibility, I can't decide who she dates. But I also can't decide if she's making a mistake...' He was incredibly troubled over the whole matter. Whitney did apologize to him—and maybe he meant it. Maybe he was really falling for Chloe, and he wanted to make sure the atmosphere was calm before he asked her out. 'Guess I sort of put a dent in his plans...'  
  
  
  
.: End :.  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: Yay! Sorry I took longer than usual in getting up this chapter—finals, you know how it is. ^^ But anyway, I'd appreciate some feedback! I was thinking after watching "Tempest", and, like I said before, this fan fic only continues to stray further and further from the truth of the show, making it a little harder to write, seeing as I'd have to go off of my own story-line almost entirely. Basically, I just want to make sure there are still people reading this and getting something out of it, so PLEASE review and give me your opinions if you're reading this! Thanks a whole bunch, and, once again, thank you for the wonderful feedback as of yet. :)  
  
PS- The foil thing at the grocery store with Chloe—that happened to me yesterday. ^^  
  
  
  
*~---------- + ----------~* 


	9. .: discovery :.

Interviewing Basketball Stars  
  
Author: Liz Luthor  
  
Disclaimer: *sigh* I don't have any rights to Smallville or its characters or anything like that... But you know, it doesn't make it any easier for me to say it! *sob*  
  
Couples: slight Clark/Lana  
  
Author's Notes: Uhh... Not much to say this time. ^^ PLEASE REVIEW!!  
  
  
  
*~---------- + ----------~*  
  
  
  
Saturday began early for Clark, as usual. He woke at 5:30 and did all of his chores before showering, changing clothes, and eating breakfast.  
  
He found himself not fully awake until around 7:30, about fifteen minutes before he left to deliver some produce to the kitchen of Luthor manor. These deliveries were rare, but the Kents would send plenty of vegetables to last through the intervals. Normally, Clark would deliver the vegetables on foot, but since he'd woken up early, he got to take the truck before his dad went to pick up the fertilizer.  
  
When Clark arrived at Lex's mansion, he was told that Lex was currently in a meeting and wouldn't be able to speak with him. He disappointedly finished unloading and bringing in the produce and then got ready to leave.  
  
  
  
Meanwhile, Whitney sat across from Lex in the library of the mansion, uncharacteristically clad in a nice suit and waiting for a response from the young aristocrat. He had presented a rather surprising proposal.  
  
"My mother and I have decided to sell the store," he had clarified quite bluntly.  
  
Lex stared in awe for a few seconds before regaining his composure and asking, "What for? If you sell Fordman's, how else will your family earn money?"  
  
Whitney explained, "We'll have the money from the sale, as well as my father's life insurance, which, of course, he left to my mom. Also, she just got a job as a nurse, and now that my scholarship worked out, we can use some of the money we had set aside for my college tuition..." he looked off in the other direction.  
  
"You seem less than excited about that scholarship."  
  
"...Well, I can't use the money unless I play on the team when I'm finished with college, and... I just don't know if that's what I want to do anymore." He shook his head. "It's too late for me to make that decision now, though. I can't pay for college otherwise."  
  
Lex offered, "You could always stick with academic achievements. You've still got the rest of this year and next year to work on your G.P.A., and if that doesn't work, you could get a loan of some sort."  
  
"Even if I get enough money to go to college, I still don't know what I want to be or what I want to do. I wouldn't know what to study," Whitney replied. The room grew silent again.  
  
"...I'm not the one you should be talking to about this. What you came here for is to sell me that store," Lex's voice filled the void.  
  
Whitney replied, "Actually, if you aren't willing to buy it, my original plan was to ask you for help in selling it," he gulped audibly. The man opposite him sat back in his chair, contemplating his decision.  
  
"It's true that I'm not looking to buy at this point... But I honestly don't see any reason to help you sell it, either." Whitney was stunned. Lex continued, "You know, you don't really need my help. The place has a good location—it's always been successful, am I correct?" The teen nodded. "...Which is why it bothers me that you still want to sell it." He leaned forward again, and then said, "If you ask me, keeping the store is your only option if you're not willing to accept that scholarship. Otherwise, your total income will decrease, and no matter how hard you work, that'll still be a loss by the time you graduate. However, by keeping the store and increasing your profits by working harder, you'll have more of a chance of being able to ignore your football scholarship." Whitney blinked. Suddenly, he wasn't the one with the plan anymore. "...Not to mention the fact that if you really don't want to continue with football, not joining the team will give you a lot more free-time during your senior year to gain the money you need," the man added.  
  
"...I can see you've put a lot of thought into my future," Whitney remarked.  
  
Lex smirked and answered, "No, I'm just a quick thinker."  
  
The boy thought for a moment. "Well. I can't say I don't owe you one for all this," he stood up and extended his hand to the Luthor. "Thank you. You're a nicer guy than the press makes you out to be," Whitney smiled gratefully.  
  
Lex nodded and shook the extended hand, replying, "You're a nicer guy than you used to be. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm expecting a delivery soon." He checked his watch. "Actually, I probably already missed it. Oh well, he'll have dropped it off, I'm sure. I'll see you later, Mr. Fordman."  
  
  
  
.: At Lana's :.  
  
  
  
"Lindsay? ...Hey, it's Lana. How are you? ...I know! We don't talk enough anymore! I was wondering, though—have you spoken to Whitney recently? ...Really? He's been acting- different lately. Just between us, do you still like him? ...Of course I knew! And I felt horrible going out with him when I knew you liked him so much. But back then I did, too. I'm really sorry about that, honestly. I guess that's why you and I had spread apart so much. ....Well good for you! I've always thought of you as a strong person, I'm sure you'll get over Whitney. ...Oh, please don't ask me that! ...Alright, well, truthfully, I don't know yet if I like Clark. Although I have considered it. ...Be quiet! Don't you agree that there's something different about him? ...See! I don't know what it is, but... *sigh* Maybe I do like him."  
  
  
  
.: At Clark's :.  
  
  
  
Clark had returned home to find that his father had more work for him to do out in the fields. Apparently, there was yet another fence that needed mending.  
  
"I swear, some of our cattle must have gotten a hold of that strength of yours, son," Jonathan had laughed. "Every week there's another part of the fence broken! Now you need to make sure you really drive those planks into the ground so they—I guess I don't need to tell you that, do I?"  
  
Clark had nodded and disappeared into the vast pastures of the Kent farm, supplies and all. After tearing down the fence that had been broken through—a length of about six or seven feet—Clark picked up one board and carefully shoved it straight into the earth. Then he nailed two boards to that one horizontally, and so on until he ran out of wood. 'Great,' Clark thought, 'now I'll have to run back to the barn and get some more.'  
  
  
  
*~---------- + ----------~*  
  
  
  
On his way to his truck, Whitney removed his coat and tie, incredibly uncomfortable in such uncommon attire. His mother had requested that he wear it in order to look more sophisticated, otherwise he wouldn't have. He placed the abandoned clothes in the passenger seat next to him and then drove away.  
  
He felt out of place... Almost as though there was something he had forgotten about—some detail he'd missed. It was a strange feeling for Whitney. Suddenly, as he drove on toward his house, the reason came to him. He took a right on the next turn and changed his destination to the Kents' house. He had to talk to Clark.  
  
Smallville was, as usual, fairly quiet, and Whitney's was practically the only truck on the road. It was late Saturday morning, and most people were already at the market. He started to slow down—he was nearing Clark's place.  
  
Upon his arrival, he found that the truck was absent from its usual parking spot outside the farmhouse. He almost opened the door of his own truck to jump out and see if anyone was home, but as he did, he saw Clark in the field. Or rather, on his way to the field.  
  
At super-speed.  
  
Whitney was awe-struck. He sat in the driver's seat, the door hanging partly open, for almost five minutes, staring on as Clark ran out of sight and into the field beyond the corner of the barn. Finally, he shook his head back to reality and backed out of the driveway quickly and carelessly.  
  
He couldn't think. All his mind told him was to get out of there as fast as humanly possible, so that's what he did.  
  
'I know I saw that... right? It was Clark, right? ...Oh, god, what am I gonna do about this??'  
  
  
  
.: End :.  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: It's a tad short, I know, but it's probably the most eventful chapter yet. ^^ I apologize for the time it took to write this... Writer's block struck me! But I think I can handle the next few chapters easily. :) As always, PLEASE review! Thanks much for reading!! 


	10. .: mystery :.

Interviewing Basketball Stars  
  
Author: Liz Luthor  
  
Disclaimer: This is, in fact, merely fan fiction. It comes nowhere near close to the ACTUAL show, and I like it that way. So, despite the fact that I have no right to, I have taken into my imagination the beautiful people of Smallville and given them a new home. :)  
  
Couples: Chloe/Whitney, Clark/Lana, Pete/OC (Amber)  
  
Author's Notes: Hey, wake up people! Did you even NOTICE that Whitney found out about Clark's powers in the last chapter? Nobody said anything about it!!  
  
  
  
*~---------- + ----------~*  
  
  
  
"I can't believe how well you guys know Lex Luthor!" Amber declared excitedly to Clark, Lana, and Pete at the Talon. "This is so cool! How often does he hang out with you?" She turned to Lindsay and they giggled together. Lana chuckled at them and Pete rolled his eyes.  
  
"You don't have to talk about him like he's above the rest of us. Socially, maybe, but in terms of people he's just low," the Ross boy scowled.  
  
Amber looked offended. "That's awfully harsh. What has he done to you?" she asked incredulously.  
  
"The Luthors completely screwed my family out of business before I was even born! We had to start from scratch after what he did to us!" Clark shifted his weight uncomfortably. He remembered the day Pete had tried to shoot Lex. He knew everything his friend had been through dealing with Lionel Luthor, but he also knew that Lex begged to differ from his father's ways.  
  
"...Let's not get into that now," Clark offered. "Just be grateful that everything's fine the way it is now." Amber folded her arms over her chest defiantly.  
  
"Wait a minute," she requested and turned to Pete. "You said what 'he' did to you. You mean Lionel Luthor, right?" She waited while he nodded his head in response. "Well how can you associate Lex with what his father did? Can you imagine how horrible it would be to live in that man's shadow??" Chloe walked in just as Amber was speaking  
  
Pete glared. "Why are you defending him all of a sudden?! You don't even know the guy!"  
  
"Well neither do you!" she shot back.  
  
"I know what kind of person he is, and that's all I need!" he shouted.  
  
Amber yelled, "You only know what kind of person his father is, but I guess that's enough for you to judge him by!"  
  
"Be that way!" He was furious now. "If Lex is so right and I'm so wrong, why don't you go out with him?!"  
  
Lindsay calmly replied for her friend. "Because she's a minor and he's an adult, not to mention she never said she liked the guy anymore than you."  
  
Amber nodded along with her. "You don't have to be so defensive about it. I know your family suffered a lot, I just think you're blaming the wrong guy. But let's forget about it for now—it's not worth losing our relationship over. Okay?" She swept over to Pete and put her arm around his shoulder. "Besides, you know how much I like you!" she kissed him on the cheek to prove her point.  
  
There was a short silence as Clark, Lana, Lindsay, and Chloe shook off the effects of the couple's first fight. Lindsay was already struggling over a new problem—Chloe's presence. She knew jealousy was a petty concept, and she was trying so hard to get over Whitney. But she knew there was something between those two. How could she ignore her feelings for him when he was finally single? She would have to. Otherwise she would get her heart broken, and she knew it.  
  
Clark felt uneasy. He sensed tension in the group, and he was getting better at reading emotions. He looked to Lana to ease his worry, and her smile at his sight did just that. She picked up a tray of cappuccinos and handed them out to settle everyone down a bit. The Talon had become their new hangout after-hours, when there was no one else there to hear them, no one to watch them. However, she was sadly not surprised to find Whitney absent. 'What could be wrong?' she wondered.  
  
  
  
.: In the corn field (where Whitney "hung" Clark like a scarecrow) :.  
  
  
  
There was a small clearing in the corn stalks a few feet away from the edge of the road, where the annual scarecrow joke was performed and where Whitney sat now. He was visibly stressed, sweating heavily and constantly fidgeting. He wrung his hands for a few seconds before standing and starting to pace in circles. Finally, he stopped, wiped the sweat from his brow, and reached into his back pocket to pull out an ordinary computer disk.  
  
Sitting down again, he stared blankly at the object. It had no label; there was nothing on it. He traced back in his memory to the day he and Clark had recovered Lex's disk from the hideout of those guys... Those guys that had introduced him to a new, fantastic kind of high, to a whole world of risks and sacrifices, which, to them, would be entirely worth it once they "hit it big". They had introduced Whitney to violence and threats, to vulnerability. And yet he had trusted them. If only for a short time, he had confided in them and caused truckloads of problems, all because of the same stupid scholarship he didn't even want now.  
  
Most of all, however, they had introduced him to alcohol. Until he met them, Whitney had never been a big drinker. He often refused to drink at parties, mainly due to his strict mother. But after what he experienced with those lunatics, drinking became a bit of a problem for him. They had somehow managed to get him a fake ID with his pictures on it so that he could purchase his own beer. Not legally, maybe, but easily enough still.  
  
But Whitney wasn't thinking about them at this point. He was thinking about Clark. He remembered how the young Kent had crushed Lex's disk almost to crumbs with only hand. He gripped his own hand around the disk he had with him and applied as much force to it as he could. He squeezed and strained with his arm to break the little floppy.  
  
It lay perfectly intact, still in the palm of his hand, still just as functional as it ever was. It glared right back at Whitney, mocking him.  
  
He threw it to the ground in frustration and stomped on it once. It still wouldn't break.  
  
'I don't understand...'  
  
  
  
.: At the Talon :.  
  
  
  
Lana took up everyone's cappuccinos and brought them back into the kitchen with her, yelling back to them as she washed out the mugs. "I have to stay back and clean up a little bit, but you guys should probably get going. See you at school tomorrow!" The others nodded and verbalized their agreement, but just as Clark stood up gloomily to leave, Lana called back, "Uh, Clark?" He turned. "...Would you mind staying for a minute? I want to talk to you." He sat back down slowly, confused and slightly uneasy over what she might want to discuss with him.  
  
She finished cleaning the cups and hurried back to the table at which they had been sitting. "What is it?" Clark inquired. Lana smiled at him and leaned forward in her chair.  
  
"I'm concerned," she declared, "about you. Lately, you've got this expression on your face that tells me something is wrong, and you look like the world is going to explode if you don't fix it... That's a lot like how Whitney's been acting, too." He sighed skeptically. She laughed, "Hey, I just want you to be happy. Whatever's between you and Whitney—that's not my problem, it's none of my business. I don't want to ask you what's bothering you, because I know you'll say it's nothing. What I want is just for you to be happy." Clark couldn't look into her eyes, so he avoided them.  
  
"...Well, although I appreciate the caring gesture, I... I can't be happy with this- problem." Lana lifted his chin with her fingers so that his eyes met hers.  
  
"Look, no matter what you're going through, you should know that we do care about you... I care about you." She stood up and walked around the small table toward Clark, then leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Don't ever forget that."  
  
  
  
*~---------- + ----------~*  
  
  
  
Outside, Chloe started walking to her car, but noticed Lindsay standing outside the Talon alone. She approached and offered, "Need a ride?"  
  
Fear struck Lindsay as she was confronted with her biggest dilemma. 'You know Whitney doesn't like you—there's no point in taking it out on Chloe. Might as well make peace with her,' she told herself. "...Uh, yeah," she responded. Chloe opened the door and motioned for her to come.  
  
Once they were on their way, silence embedded its heavy presence into the vehicle. Finally, Chloe spoke up. "...So... Where do you live?" she asked, clearly trying to fill the void.  
  
"Oh, right down the road from... Whitney... actually," Lindsay pointed out. Silence returned. "...Speaking of which..." she began, "Do you, uh, like him?"  
  
Chloe seemed stunned by the question. "I-... umm..." She sighed. "I've been wondering that myself lately."  
  
It was Lindsay's turn to be surprised. "Really? I mean, well, a lot of people appear to think that he likes you, so..."  
  
Chloe let out a short, sarcastic laugh and replied, "I kinda found that out. He... H-he kissed me the other day." It was the first time she had said it out loud, the first time she had really let it sink in, really admitted it to herself. She wasn't sure how Lindsay would react.  
  
In the passenger seat, Lindsay froze. 'Whitney kissed her?? He kissed her, and she... she doesn't even know if she likes him...' She was in awe. Somehow, the center of her attention for the past four years, the unattainable, the impossible to please had fallen for this girl. This girl, who didn't even have feelings for him in the first place, who wasn't sure of how she felt about him! This girl, who hadn't tried nearly as hard as she had to earn Whitney's attention, and who could easily break his heart with what she had been given.  
  
Silence poured through the night.  
  
  
  
*~---------- + ----------~*  
  
  
  
Whitney drove around in a daze. Smallville was a deep eternity of darkness and empty streets. The night consumed his truck, and he was subtly aware of the light shown by the moon. Tonight, he would not go to the drugstore, as he had on so many previous occasions. He would not, could not drink away this problem.  
  
'...The speed...' he thought. 'It must be accompanied by strength. How could he achieve speed like that without amazing strength?' He thought back to the disk and was sure crushing had been a small feat for Clark. Another memory occurred to him, another part of that night. When the car was falling... He would've been crushed, if it weren't for Clark pushing him out of Death's path. He'd be dead if it weren't for Clark's inhuman speed and strength. Clark had been able to save his life with those powers, but his only question now was, 'Why...?'  
  
  
  
*~---------- + ----------~*  
  
  
  
Clark looked back on the events of the evening and mentally remarked, '...I won't forget...'  
  
  
  
.: End :.  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: I really liked this chapter! It was more fun to write, for some reason, than other chapters. :) Oh, and, once again, sorry for the delay! I was on vacation! *grin*  
  
  
  
*~---------- + ----------~*  
  
  
  
PS- REVIEW! 


	11. .: insanity? :.

Interviewing Basketball Stars  
  
Author: Liz Luthor Disclaimer: Show's not mine, characters aren't mine. Period. Couples: Chloe/Whitney, Clark/Lana, Pete/OC (Amber), OC/OC (Lindsay/Michael) Author's Notes: You'll see who Michael is in just a minute... :) But first, welcome back! It's good to be here again!! ;) As always, tell me what you think!  
  
*~---------- + ----------~*  
  
The day had been long so far. Long, boring, and uneventful. Then the mail came.  
  
"...Lindsay! You got a letter! ....Oh my!! It's from Lex Luthor!!! Since when have you been hanging out with-" Mrs. Ashmore was interrupted as her daughter picked the said letter from her hand.  
  
"...Whoa..." Lindsay read over the letter carefully, not believing in its existence herself.  
  
*~---------- + ----------~*  
  
Amber confusedly read aloud the black text printed on a light gray sheet of paper labeled, 'Brought to you by Lex Luthor'. "...Dear recipient... This is to inform you that Lex Luthor is having a small party-"  
  
*~---------- + ----------~*  
  
"...to which you are invited," Chloe said slowly to her empty house as she proceeded in dropping the rest of the mail. "There has been a new addition to the Luthor ancestral home, one which the younger Luthor would like to celebrate with the company of a few guests."  
  
*~---------- + ----------~*  
  
Lana laughed out loud as she read the letter to her aunt. "...The addition to which he refers includes an indoor pool, gymnasium, and hot tub." She rolled her eyes. "Lex, what are you planning?"  
  
*~---------- + ----------~*  
  
"...Please arrive at the mansion promptly at 5:00 PM Saturday, May 18." Whitney shrugged, "Not like I have anything better to do. What's this? 'Don't forget to bring a swim suit'? This oughtta be interesting."  
  
*~---------- + ----------~*  
  
"...For more information, call Lex's personal secretary at (729) 120-2967." Clark shook his head in surprise and grinned. "Has he really gotten so big- headed that he refers to himself in third person now, or does he just hire people write his own letters?" He picked up the phone to call Lana and continued to read the last part of the invitation. 'If you are unable to attend, please give reasonable notice. Each attendee is allowed to bring one guest.'  
  
*~---------- + ----------~*  
  
"...Um, is Michael there?" Lindsay nervously rapped her fingers on the counter-top in her kitchen as she waited. "...Hi! This is Lindsay."  
  
"...Lindsay Ashmore?" the voice on the other end asked in astonishment.  
  
"Yes! You remember me, don't you?"  
  
"Of course!! Wow," the masculine voice laughed. "It's been so long!"  
  
"I know!" she replied. "Look, I'm really sorry I haven't called in such a long time. There's been a lot going on..." She hugged herself and shook her head as guilt found its way into her veins.  
  
"Well... How are you?" Michael had calmed down, but now he sounded regretful.  
  
"Oh, I'm doing good. I mean... it's really good to talk to you again. I can't apologize enough for not calling. It was just-"  
  
"Don't worry about it." Lindsay could feel the warmth of his smile through the phone. "We have a lot to talk about, though. Do you wanna meet somewhere?"  
  
"...Actually... That's why I called. Do you know Lex Luthor?"  
  
At the other end, in Metropolis, Michael Gabben's mouth hung wide open. "...Do you?!" he asked incredulously.  
  
Lindsay smiled at herself and chuckled. "You betcha! ...Okay, I don't know him that well, but he invited me to a party, and the invitation says I can bring a guest!" 'I am OVER Whitney!' she demanded, 'It's time to wake up again!'  
  
"..."  
  
"...Michael?"  
  
The 16-year-old replied excitedly, "...I forgive you for not calling."  
  
*~---------- + ----------~*  
  
Amber sighed exasperatedly. "...Yes, Pete, I know how you feel about Lex Luthor. But have you ever even considered giving him a chance?"  
  
"...I did for a few days, before he stole my best friend..." Pete mumbled. "How could you expect me to want to go to his party?"  
  
Amber whined, "Lindsay's bringing her old boyfriend... And besides, this is the chance of a lifetime! He's got this new indoor pool and a gym-"  
  
"The party is, no doubt, another excuse to show off his superiority to the lowly peasants of Smallville."  
  
"Ugh! Pete, that's just not fair!! All right, you know what? You're coming with me, even if I have to kidnap you. And if you file charges for that, I'll pound your stubborn little head through a brick wall," she insisted.  
  
"...You're one tough girlfriend..." he muttered. "But I'll go with you anyway. I guess it's just one night."  
  
.: At Lex's mansion :.  
  
Clark burst into laughter the second Lex opened his door. The Luthor was wearing a blue and black towel robe, along with visibly expensive sunglasses and a light blue beach towel over his shoulder. "What's with the beach-wear?" he laughed.  
  
Lex pretended to model his ensemble by holding his arms up and said, "It matches the theme for the party!" He let Clark in and presented him with a red and blue beach towel of his own. "Party favors," he shrugged. At his friend's confusion, he added, "You did read the invitation letter, right?"  
  
"...Yeah... But I can't say I was expecting this," Clark gestured toward a pile of blow-up beach balls near the entrance to Lex's basement. "...What are you on...?" he inquired, amazed.  
  
Lex simply let out a laugh. "It's a pool party! Lighten up, Clark, I promise I'm not high, drunk, or otherwise subdued. Okay?" The latter was unable to answer the question as the doorbell rang. Lex nodded toward him and went to answer it.  
  
"...Lex? Did you-"  
  
"No, I didn't hit my head on anything! Come in." As Lana walked in, Lex handed her a pink beach towel.  
  
She opened her mouth to question him, but Clark jumped in. "Party favors," he said, raising his eyebrows.  
  
Lana moved from the doorway and was followed by Chloe, who quickly snapped a picture of Lex in his party attire and grinned. "If you don't want that to show up in this week's Torch, you better let me in that hot tub pretty soon!" She let out a laugh as Lex smirked and gave her a beach towel with a flame design on it.  
  
"How fitting!" Lana remarked with a smile. She turned to Lex and asked, "Okay now, tell me you have refreshments. I haven't eaten anything since breakfast this morning!"  
  
The robe-clad host waved his hand toward a table with a bowl of punch and chips and dip set on a red and white-checkered tablecloth.  
  
"Can I get you some punch?" Clark offered, following Lana. Chloe rolled her eyes and turned around in the doorway when she heard Whitney's truck pull up.  
  
'Well, here it goes... I have to talk to him tonight!' she persevered.  
  
Whitney pulled the key from the ignition and leaned his head against the steering wheel (avoiding the horn). '...She's here,' he thought reluctantly. 'I knew I'd have to confront her sometime, I might as well do it now.' He breathed in heavily and sighed before jumping out of the truck and walking slowly toward the elaborate door, toward Chloe. When Whitney was at the bottom of the steps leading up to the mansion, he motioned her to come down and talk to him.  
  
Chloe tried to put on a smile as she approached the young man who had kissed her last week. Her brain screamed at her for not avoiding him the way she had been since that Friday afternoon. "...Hi..." she said awkwardly.  
  
"Hi." Whitney gulped, then looked down at his shoes. "I'm sorry about the... the thing... last Friday..." He began fingering the bottom of his shirt to keep his hands occupied.  
  
"You shouldn't be," Chloe confessed, thinking, 'He looks so vulnerable! I hope he wasn't beating himself up over this...' Whitney searched her eyes confusedly for the truth about her own feelings. She sighed, "Clark made too big a deal out if it. And then I... turned it around and yelled back at him. I think it was kind of blown out of proportion- I mean, it was just a kiss, right?" She laughed. "I haven't spoken to either of you since it happened, though..."  
  
Whitney quickly put in, "I guess we're all to blame in this case, huh?" Chloe looked at him strangely for a moment.  
  
"You can't blame yourself for this. All you did was..." she smiled weakly. "You made me realize my feelings for you." Whitney was almost torn apart by this. 'Well, sure she likes me now-before she even knows about the scarecrow! I have to tell her. I have to know...'  
  
"Chloe, have you ever heard about the scarecrow joke that the football players play on homecoming?" She looked afraid to hear the rest, as though she knew it wasn't going to be good but had to listen anyway, just in case. "I used to be... jealous. Of Clark." 'That hasn't changed,' his mind added. "I thought he was trying to take Lana away from me, so I got kinda mad..." He winced and looked at her before admitting; "I hung Clark out in a field that night."  
  
The silence was long, unbearable. Finally, Whitney added, "I'm not proud of it. I'll regret that mistake for the rest of my life, and I'll never make it up to Clark for taking such a sick action. I just... thought you should know my worst secret before you decide anything about me."  
  
Chloe was shocked, but managed to stutter, "H-he could have died..." Whitney frowned and looked away. "Why didn't HE tell me?!" She fumed and hurried back up the steps and through the door. '...Uh-oh...' He thought.  
  
.: End :.  
  
Author's Notes: Ah, it's been so long! Well, since poor dear FF.Net has been having so many problems lately, it's not ENTIRELY my fault this took so long to post! Anyway, please be honest in your reviews-it's been a while since I last wrote and I wanna make sure my writing hasn't deteriorated completely... ^_^ Oh, and about Michael! He's actually in 10th grade, going on 11th, so he's one year their junior. Just so you know. ;) 


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